Contact finger



June 10, 1930. J. Q. GAUBERT 1,763,145

CONTACT FINGER I Filed June 18, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ja/m 561/fiP/f o ATTORNEY June 10, 1930. J. Q. GAUBERT' ,7

CONTACT FINGER Fil ed June 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Job/76 Gauen 1 ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE JOHN QFGAUBERT, OF PITTSBURGH,-IPENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CONTACT FINGER Application filed .l une 18,

' My invention relates generally to contact fingers and especially to means for mounting the contact tips of such fingers.

spring into place.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a simple, rugged and reliable device for mounting contact tips on contact fingers.

A more specific object of the invention is to facilitate the removal and replacement of the contact tips provided on contact fingers. A further object of this invention is to provide for utilizing a resilient member to give flexibility to a contact finger and to retain the means provided for mounting the contact tip in position.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, when the following description is considered.

This invention comprises a rectangular buckle having a tongue and a boss-projecting inwardly. The members which are to be biased toward each other are adapted to be fitted over the tongue of the mounting buckle so that the spring may be placed over the boss and the projecting end of the tongue, thereby retaining all the members in posi-' tion. It will be seen that the assembly may be accomplished by arranging the members in their respective positions andinserting the The buckle may be cast or of punched sheet metal.

For a clearer understanding of the inven-.

tion and the operation of its parts, reference may be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 'is aview, in side elevation, show ing a mounting for contact tips which is constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail view, partlyin section and partly in side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a development of the buckle,

Fig.- 4 is a side elevation of the buckle, I

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the buckle,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the buckle.

Fig. 7 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a mounting for contact tips which is constructed'iin acend portion of the contact tip is Figs. 4 to 6,

1927. Serial No. 199,695.

Fig. 8 is a developmentof the combined buckle and carrying member; I

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the combined buckle and actuating member.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the combined buckle and actuating member, and

Fig. 11 is an end view of the combined buckle and actuating member.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a contactcarrying memberlO is shown supporting a contact member 12. In this member 10 is a straight plate; however, it will be readily understood that it may be made of any required shape, depending upon the contactorto which it is to be applied.

A contact tip 12 is mounted on the contactgage the stationary contact member 12*. In

the embodiment of the invention illustrated.

the contact tip 12 is provided with a straight central portion. and curved ends.

shaped to make a rolling engagement with thecontact member 12a, while the lower end provides a The upper,

instance, the i means for-establishing a connection with a conductor, such as 126.

In order to mount the contact tip 12 on the contact-carrying member 10, a buckle 14 is provided. As shown, the buckle 14', which is substantially rectangular in shape, is pro-.

vided with two inwardly extending alined tongues 15 and 16. The tongue 15 is longer than the tongue 16 and, when the contact finger is assembled, the tongue 15 extends through openings 11 and 13 provided in the contact-carrying member 10 and the contact tip 12 respectively. There being a clearance between the tongue 15 and the openings 11 and 13, the contact tip.12 may move relative to the member 10 without being released from the tongue 15.

The preferred form of the buckle 14 hereinbefore described may be made in any suitable manner, such, for example, as by punching from sheet-metal blanks such as shown in the development in Fig. 3, and bending the blanks to the desired shape shown in inclusive.

With a view to facilitating the mounting of the contact finger and to insure proper engagement between the contact tip 12 and the contact member 12a, a resilient member, such as a spring 17, is utilized for retaining the contact tip in position on the tongue 15. As shown, the ends of the spring fit over the tongues 15 and 16 and the spring is thus retained in position to bias the contact tip toward the member 10.

The assembling and dismantling of the contactor is simple, for example, in assembling, the contact tip may be placed on the contact-carrying member 10 and the tongue 15 of the buckle inserted through the openings 11 and 13, then the spring 17 is compressed and placed in position, while, in dismantling, when the spring 17 is removed, the contact tip may be lifted off the tongue 15 and the buckle disengaged from the member 10.

In order to provide for the establishment of proper electrical engagement between the contact tip 12 and the stationary contact member 12a, one of the members is preferably mounted to permit limited universal movement and, in this case, the contact tip 12 is loosely mounted onthe tongue 15 so that it may take different positions to accommodate itself to the contacting surfaceof the contact member 12a.

A modification of the buckle is shown in Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive. In the modified embodiment, the buckle 14 is made integral with the carrier 10. The buckle comprises the same features as previously described except that the tongue 15 is shortened since there is but one member through which it must project. In this instance, the combined buckle and carrier member are punched from a sheet-metal plate, as shown in the de velopment, Fig. 8. The member is then bent into the desired shape as shown in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a contactor, in combination, a contact-carrying member, a contact tip adapted to be mounted on the contact-carrying member, said contact tip and contact-carrying member being provided with openings, a buckle provided with oppositely disposed tongues, one of said tongues being disposed to fit loosely into the openings in said contact tip and contact-carrying member, and resilient means for retaining the contact tip in movable relation on the tongue.

2. In a contactor, in combination, a contact tip, a contact-carrying member for the con-- tact tip, said contact tip and contact-carrying member being provided with openings, a buckle, a tongue provided on the buckle for insertion through the openings in the contact tip and contact-carrying member to retain them in position, and a spring adapted to be interposed between the buckle and the contact tip to retain the tongue in said openings and to bias the contact tip toward the contact-carrying member. 4

3. In a contactor, in combination, a contact tip, a contact-carrying member forthe contact tip, said contact tip and contactcarrying member being provided with open-- ings, a substantially rectangular buckle, oppositely disposed tongues provided on the buckle, one of said tongues being adapted for insertion through the openings provided in the contact tip and contact-carrying member, and a spring removably mounted 'on the tongues to retain the buckle in position and to bias the contact tip toward the contact-carrying member.

4. In a contactor, in combination, a contact tip, a contact-carrying member for the contact tip, said contact tip and contactcarrying member being provided with openings, a substantially rectangular buckle, oppositely disposed tongues provided on the buckle,one of said tongues being adapted for insertion through the openings in the contact tip and contact-carrying member to loosely mount the contact tip on the contact-carrying member, a coil spring removably mounted on the tongues between the buckle and the contact tip to retain the tongue in position in said openings and to bias the contact tip toward the contact-carrying member.

5. In a contactor, a contact tip, a contactcarrying member for mounting the contact tip, said contact tip and contact-carrying member being provided with openings, a tongue extending through said openings, and resilient means for retaining said tongue in the openings.

6. In a contactor, in combination, a contact carrier, a contact tip, a buckle provided with a plurality of tongues for removably mounting the contact tip on the carrier, said carrier and contact tips being provided with openings for receiving a buckle tongue, and resilient means removably mounted on another tongue to retain the contact tips in position within the buckle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of June, 1927.

JOHN Q. GAUBERT. 

